


Into the Wild

by astrogirl91



Category: Chris Evans (actor) - Fandom
Genre: Actor Chris Evans, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bearded Chris Evans, Doggy Style, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Love, Oral Sex, Outdoor Sex, POV First Person, POV Original Female Character, Romance, Smut, Top Chris Evans
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:21:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25831258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astrogirl91/pseuds/astrogirl91
Summary: Part four of an ongoing romance series about Chris Evans and Dodger's groomer, Brianna Walsh (OFC). Sequel to Alight. Contains explicit sexual content, some angst, and mentions of drug addiction and death.
Relationships: Chris Evans (Actor)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 26





	Into the Wild

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again to everyone who has been reading and leaving kudos! I really appreciate it. My fics started to get even smuttier from this part onward, so for anyone who is into that, I think this one will definitely be enjoyable. :)

I stared at the message on my phone for the hundredth time in the past few hours. I read the words countless times, but they still hadn't truly sunk in: _She passed away last night. It was an overdose, I think accidental. Let me know if you want her remains. I'm sorry for your loss, Brianna._

It was a text from an old drug buddy of my mom's, some woman I met a few times in my teen years whenever I passed through the house that was supposed to be my home. I barely knew her, and didn't know how she even got my phone number. Another message from her revealed that my mother had actually relapsed a couple of years ago – information that she naturally wouldn't have bothered to share with me during our annual phone conversations.

Not that I had expected her to, since I never asked, and not that I was surprised her love for heroin finally did her in – which was exactly why I didn't know what to think or feel in that moment. I simply wasn't surprised. I had actually been expecting to receive news of her passing much sooner, but despite all of her faults, one thing my mom always had going for her was one damn tough body to survive so many years of near daily drug and alcohol consumption.

I was completely numb. I didn't know what emotions I should have, if any. The woman who neglected me practically from birth was gone – but she was still my mother, and didn't that count for something?

My phone buzzed from another text: _Hey sweetheart, is everything okay?_

It was Chris. He had texted me a few hours prior, just to chat like we always did if it was one of the few days when we weren't physically together, but I hadn't replied yet. I was too busy trying to figure out how I was supposed to feel about my mother suddenly dropping dead, and the fact that I was officially an orphan. What family did I even have left? A few aunts and uncles who had a habit of forgetting about my existence? Some cousins who drifted away just when I thought we were growing close? I had been on my own for years, but I was suddenly realizing just _how_ alone I had been for so long.

Although I didn't know what exactly to feel, I knew that I wanted to tell Chris; I couldn't hold it inside me any longer. I pressed call on his contact name and he answered within a few rings.

“Hey sweetie! I've been kinda worried. Not trying to smother you or anything, it's just not like you to take so long to reply. Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” I replied quietly. “It's just...” I trailed off and went silent for a minute.

“Bree? You there?”

“My mom died last night.”

“Oh, shit,” Chris said softly. “I'm sorry, Bree. I'm so sorry.” He paused for a moment. “Are you okay?”

“I...I don't know.”

“Do you need me to come over?”

A lump formed in my throat. The reality of what happened was hitting me. Despite all the years of priding myself on my resilience and ability to tough out any problem – emotional or otherwise – on my own, I knew I couldn't do it that night. I just couldn't, and I didn't _want_ to either. I simply didn't want to be alone.

“Yes. I do,” I said quietly.

“Stay right there. I'll be there as fast as I can.”

Half an hour later, I finally got up from the parlor room sofa for the first time in several hours to answer Chris knocking on the front door. As soon as he stepped through the threshold, he wrapped me tightly in his arms.

I buried my face against his chest, and every emotion that had been pent up inside of me for years suddenly burst out all at once. I started crying, and couldn't stop. His shirt absorbed all of my tears; his steady heartbeat I could feel against my forehead muffled all of my loud racking sobs.

Chris gave me a gentle squeeze and kissed the top of my head. “I'm here for you, Bree...I'm here.”

***

I nestled my head deeper into Chris' lap as he gently rubbed my back. Dodger sighed in contentment, his head resting on my legs stretched out on the sofa. My eyes watered as I looked at him sleeping peacefully. I envied his innocence, his lack of awareness for so much of life's pain and suffering – except my own, apparently.

Dodger seemed to be especially aware of the depression that had been afflicting me over the two weeks since my mom died, and barely left my side. I had skipped out of work, lying to all of my clients and saying I was going on a long vacation, when I was actually just moping around Chris' house and alternating cuddle sessions between him and Dodger.

It wasn't entirely my idea though; Chris insisted that I stay with him until I felt better. He gave me massages every night, forced me to eat something at least once a day, and made sure I didn't wear the same pajamas all day for days on end. I had started coming out of my funk, but it suddenly hit me hard again that night.

I wondered if I made a mistake telling my mother's friend to not bother with a funeral and just scatter her ashes. I felt callous for not even wanting her remains, but at the same time I knew there wouldn't have been much point in keeping them. My mom didn't want me around when she was alive, so why would she want me around when she was dead?

Chris paused the movie we had been watching – Clue, one of our mutual favorites. I was barely paying attention to it and hadn't laughed at a single scene. “Everything okay?” He asked me quietly.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Yeah. Just still...”

He kissed the side of my head. “If you want to talk about it, you can. I'm always here to listen, sweetheart.”

I sighed. “There's not much left for me to talk about. I've already gone on about it like a broken record and told you a hundred times that I can't seem to shake this funk because...I know she was awful, but she was still my mom.”

Chris wrapped his arms around me. “I understand. It's only natural for you to grieve. You were still connected to her, regardless of everything that happened.”

My eyes welled up and tears fell down my face before I had a chance to hold them back. I looked down at my hands in my lap. “I think it's hitting me again because I never got the chance to tell her I understand why she struggled and failed, that I have sympathy for her instead of resentment, and to tell her I forgive her. I wish I told her more about my life out here, how happy I am now – not to rub it in her face, but just to let her know that in a weird twisted way, I'm glad everything happened the way it did...because it brought me here to you. That's why I forgive her.”

I looked up at him and saw that he had started weeping too. He held my face and kissed me deeply. When his lips slowly parted from mine, Chris smiled at me with pride and amazement in his red watery eyes. “You are the most _incredible_ woman I have ever known. It's astonishing how much love and courage is in your heart to rise above all of that like you have – and I hope you know just how rare and beautiful that makes you. I love you... _so much_.” He kissed me again.

“I love you too.” I smiled at him and wiped the tears off his cheeks.

“Want me to get you some ice cream to help you feel better?” He asked as he brushed my own tears away with his fingertips.

I laughed quietly. Although he made sure I ate every day, his culinary skills were so meager and my appetite was so absent that I had been subsisting mostly on takeout and junk food for the past two weeks. “Or maybe some burnt peanut butter toast again,” I said.

Chris laughed, his cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment. “Hey, I'm trying.”

I nuzzled his nose. “And I appreciate it more than you know.”

“So ice cream it is?”

“You just _really_ want to have ice cream at eleven o'clock at night, don't you, fat boy?”

He grinned. “Now you're sounding more like yourself again, giving me shit like you love to do.”

“Yeah, I am starting to feel better...and it's all because of you.” I pressed my lips to his and gave him a tender kiss.

Chris pulled me into his lap then stood up, lifting me off the couch with him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held his shoulders as he carried me into the kitchen, then set me down on the counter.

“You're definitely having ice cream. You're way too easy for me to carry now,” he said with a small smile, but I could see the concern in his eyes. I was already naturally petite, and losing several pounds over the past couple weeks had made me look skeletal.

“You just can't bear the thought of me losing any more of my ass,” I teased him.

He chuckled and pulled my favorite strawberry ice cream out of the freezer. My stomach was suddenly hit with a hunger pang; I took the ice cream from him, grabbed a spoon laying in the sink beside me, and started eating straight out of the container. Chris grinned. “You're _definitely_ more like your old self now.”

I smiled and fed him a spoonful of ice cream. “That's all I'm sharing.”

“That's all I need. Eat up, sweetie.” He lifted me off the counter and carried me back to the living room sofa. We finished watching the movie with Dodger, who stared longingly at me eating my ice cream the entire time, begging for a taste. I set the empty container on the floor and let him lick it clean.

“So _that's_ why he's betrayed me and loves you more now.” Chris laughed.

“Oh, stop. He doesn't love me more than you.”

“I don't know about that. He's always getting between us in bed in the morning so he can hog all the cuddles from you.” Chris looked down and grinned at Dodger holding the container between his front paws as he scavenged for strawberry ice cream leftovers. “I found her first, pal, so I've got dibs on the morning cuddles.”

Dodger pulled his snout out of the container, licked the melted pink cream off his lips, and looked at Chris with sad pleading eyes.

“Don't give me that look! You wanted a mom and I got you one, but we have to share her love. That was part of our agreement.”

I laughed. “Well, regardless of who he _might_ love more, I've got plenty of love to go around for both of you.” Dodger sat up and placed his head lovingly on top of Chris' thigh. “See? He still loves you after all.”

Chris chuckled and rubbed him behind the ears. “Apparently so...but even if he did ditch me, I couldn't be jealous. You've needed his love more than I do lately.”

I reached over and stroked the top of Dodger's head. “I have to admit he's the only thing aside from you that makes me feel better when I'm down.” He licked my hand, then hopped back up on the sofa and laid down at the end.

“I'm glad he does. He should – you're his mom now, you know. I mean it.” Chris smiled sincerely.

“I know you do, and I'm honored. To be honest, deep down...I've wanted to be his mom since the day we met,” I said with a bashful smile.

“I knew you would be as soon as I heard your voice for the first time. I'll never forget the day I found your number on that pet store bulletin board, and called to ask if you would give a haircut to my pain in the ass dog who hated every other groomer. Little did I know how much that phone call would change my entire life.” We smiled at each other, then he kissed me gently and ran his fingers through my hair. “You want to take a shower with me?”

I gave him a half smile, then looked down. “I'm not really in the mood for... _that_.”

“I didn't say anything about sex. I just want to clean you up. It's been a couple days since you washed your hair.”

“You're keeping track of that?”

“Why wouldn't I? I'm taking care of you, aren't I?”

I smiled at him as my eyes welled up and my heart warmed. His level of devotion never failed to put me in awe. “Okay, let's go shower.”

He helped me off the sofa and took me by the hand into the master bathroom. As the running water heated up, he pulled my tee shirt over my head and tugged down my sweatpants and panties. While he stripped himself of his henley shirt and jeans, I stepped into the shower and stood underneath the hot water cascading down, soaking my hair and stripping the day's grime from my skin.

A moment later I felt Chris step in behind me, wrap his arms around my front, and place a gentle kiss on the back of my neck. I couldn't help but giggle at the feeling of his cock – already grown hard – poking into the small of my back. I turned around and pressed my lips to his.

“Sorry, it has a mind of its own,” Chris said with a bashful smile, then grabbed a shampoo bottle and poured some of it into his hand. “But we're not here for that.”

He lathered up my hair and gently scrubbed it clean. I rinsed it myself, then he washed it again, using his fingers to comb conditioner through the ends of my hair. Just when I thought he was done, he picked up a bar of soap and began to massage my entire body with soft suds. I sighed at the sensation of his hands running up and down my back, arms, and legs, helping to wash away all of my remaining sadness.

I held his face and kissed him gently. “Thank you...for everything.”

Chris smiled. “You don't need to thank me for anything, sweetheart.”

I stepped out of the shower and toweled myself dry as he stayed in and cleaned the day off himself, but he was still in there even after I had changed into fresh pajamas and brushed my teeth.

“Are you drowning? You never take this long to shower,” I said as I combed my hair.

Chris peeked out from behind the shower curtain, smiling bashfully. “No, I'm just...I'll be out in a minute.”

I caught his drift and smiled to myself. “Okay, I'm going to get in bed.”

As I pulled back the sheets and laid down, Dodger padded into the room and to the edge of the bed. I giggled as he licked my face. “I love you too, Bubba. I'm okay now. Go lay down. Bedtime.”

He wagged his tail – seemingly satisfied with my answer – then trotted back out into the living room, instead of to his own bed tucked in the corner of the bedroom. I laughed quietly at his departure; every time he knew his humans were most likely going to need some privacy, he either left the room entirely, or at least hid somewhere to cover his eyes.

Chris emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, freshly cleaned and running his hands through his messy towel-dried hair. He pulled on a pair of boxers and pajama pants from the dresser, then got into bed with me. Although the September night air was steadily dropping lower, he had been sleeping without a shirt per my request. Something about being curled up against his warm, soft skin every night made me feel even more protected than I always did around him.

“So did you get it taken care of?” I asked him with a smirk.

“Not exactly,” he said, smiling shyly.

“No? Why not?”

“I just...kinda lost interest. I felt like I was being selfish doing that instead of being out here with you.”

“Babe, I'm okay. I told you I'm feeling better thanks to you.”

Chris smiled then kissed my forehead. “I know, but being here beside you and making sure you're _really_ okay is more important than jacking off.”

I sat up and moved over him, nudging his legs apart with my knee.

“Bree, what are you doing?”

“You've been taking care of me for weeks. I want to return the favor now.” I tugged at the waistband of his pants.

He gently grabbed my hands and stopped me. “You don't need to do that. I don't expect it from you. I don't expect you to ever return _any_ favors, especially with sex. You know that's not how I am.”

“I know. I just want to do this for you.”

“But with how you've been feeling lately-”

“I _want_ to do this for you,” I repeated. “Please?”

Chris looked at me practically begging to give him head, sighed, and chuckled. “Only if you _really_ want to.”

“I do.” I tugged his pants down just enough to free his cock, took him in my hand, and gently stroked him. He moaned quietly as he started growing hard.

“When was the last time you came, anyway?” I asked.

“The last time we fooled around.”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “I don't believe you.”

“Honest to God.”

“So it's been two whole weeks?”

“Yes.”

“That's an _extremely_ long time for you of all people to go without cumming. It must be a record.”

Chris laughed. “I know, but...like I said, it hasn't been that important.” He pulled me down to him and kissed me gently, holding the side of my face with one hand and tucking a stray lock of my damp hair behind my ear with the other.

I smiled at him when our lips parted, and gazed into the bright blue-green pools of his eyes. They were filled with a softness that told me he always meant every word he ever said. “I love you, Chris.”

“I love you too, Bree.” He smiled back at me and stroked my cheek with his thumb.

I continued caressing him slowly, and within moments had him completely hard. I crouched down at his groin, ran my tongue up the underside of his shaft, and licked the precum leaking off the tip of his cock. He groaned low in his throat and grasped my hair, pulling it away from my face and holding it out of the way for me.

I wrapped my lips around him, relaxed my jaw, and slid his entire length into my mouth until he entered my throat. Chris grasped my hair tightly and moaned. His hypersensitivity from going weeks without any sexual stimulation at all made him last only a few minutes – a rarity for him.

“Bree, I'm about to cum already,” he whimpered with a soft moan. Chris always gave me notice when I went down on him, out of both courtesy and as a way to essentially ask for permission to cum inside my mouth – which I did for him every time.

I nodded once as I continued moving my head up and down, sliding him into the back of my throat and out again, in time with my hand stroking him firmly. He would never admit it, but I knew he said I was the best he ever had thanks to both my lack of a gag reflex, and a pussy that apparently refused to ever loosen up – and I would be lying if I said I wasn't proud of both. My ego swelled knowing he really thought I was the best – out of at least a hundred, I was sure, but he was still vague with me about his number out of both humility and embarrassment.

His entire body tensed up even tighter than it already was, and he gripped my hair with both hands. “Bree...can I? Can I cum now?”

I nodded once. “Mmhmm.” The vibration of the sound coming from my throat sent him over the edge, and he loudly moaned my name as he filled my mouth, the flow of hot bitter liquid streaming out for several seconds. Feeling he was finally done as his muscles gradually relaxed and he loosened his grip on my hair, I slowly slid him out of my mouth, swallowed all of his cum, and wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

“Come here,” Chris whispered, breathing heavily as he pulled me on top of him and wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly against his chest. “You're _amazing_. Thank you. You really didn't have to do that for me.”

“I know I didn't have to. How many times do I need to say I _wanted_ to?”

“Just let me know when you want me to treat you to the same. I'm more than happy to reciprocate, you know.” He kissed me, gently stroking his tongue against mine, then grinned. “God, I love it when you taste like me.”

I giggled. “So do I.” I tugged his pants back up for him, then curled up against him.

Chris slowly rubbed his hand up and down the length of my back; I could tell he was thinking about something. “Do you want to go camping next week?” He asked after several moments.

I looked at him curiously. “Why?”

“I want us to see the fall colors together – I mean _real_ fall colors out in the wild – and we should go before it gets too cold.”

I had admittedly never gone camping before. Hiking, sure – I loved going out on trails to get a good walk, breathe some fresh air, and listen to the birds chirp. But not coming back home at the end of the day to a real bed, electricity, and running water? No thanks; that was Chris' thing.

He had gone on a solo camping trip shortly before my mother's passing, not even bringing Dodger with him and leaving me behind on babysitting duty. Despite my lack of interest in camping, I was admittedly a little upset about it and felt left out by not even receiving an invitation to join him – and filled with anxiety that old murmurings of his bachelor-for-life playboy reputation had been true all along; that I had been duped and he was already sick of me.

I enjoyed taking short breaks from him and having my own space too, so hadn't I done a good enough job not being the clingy girlfriend? Allowing him to have his independence? Retaining my own interests? The day he finally kissed me and said he didn't care about me hating football was the day I even stopped pretending to like all of the same stuff he did. I gave him plenty of independence to do things without me, so why the sudden need to ditch me for a solo camping trip? Did he really feel that smothered?

He had explained to me that wasn't it at all; sometimes he just needed to go out in nature alone, turn off his brain, and recenter himself. I came to understand it was nothing personal and just something he needed to do for himself, so he spent an entire week that summer pulling a Thoreau – and when he got back the sex was somehow even more incredible than usual, so I decided from there on out he could go meditate by himself among the trees as often as he wanted.

“You don't want to go play Grizzly Adams by yourself again? I thought we decided that was your thing.” I turned over onto my stomach and propped myself up on my elbows.

“Yeah, it is, but...I don't _always_ want to go camping alone. I want to share this with you too sometimes, and I also thought it might be just what you need to keep working your way out of that depression.” Chris smiled.

“Alright, I'll give it a try and see how I like it.”

He looked at me perplexed. “You've never been camping before?”

“No.”

“Really?” Chris grinned. “This is gonna be a blast for you. You'll love it.”

“I don't know,” I said hesitantly. “I'm not _that_ outdoorsy. How long are we gonna be gone?”

“Well, I was thinking we could go for a week, but since you're a newbie...three nights?”

I thought for a moment. “I should get back to work, but I guess I'm alright money-wise for a little while longer. I can take a few more days off.”

He kissed my forehead. “How many times do I have to tell you not to worry about that? I've got you covered for anything and everything you need.”

I sighed. “I know, but...”

“ _But_ you don't want to be dependent on anyone else and you don't want my money, I know. I just want you to know that you'll never have to worry about that again, sweetheart. I'm always gonna be here to help you with anything you need. Period.”

“Okay.” I smiled and rested my head against his chest. Chris nuzzled my hair, then sighed in contentment. We laid together in comfortable silence for several minutes before he spoke again.

“I know this is kind of a serious subject, and you've got enough on your mind already, so if you don't want to talk about it right now I understand. But I just wanted to bring it up because, well...having you here with me every day for the past couple weeks has got me thinking...” He trailed off and hesitated.

“Thinking about what?”

Chris smiled at me nervously. “I want to take care of you all the time.”

“But I don't need you to.”

“I know, but it's not just that. I've been worried about you lately, obviously, but I can't deny the fact I'm always a little bit worried when you're not around. I mean, you live a solid half hour away from here – a full hour if there's traffic – and you're all by yourself out there. That's what bothers me the most. What if, God forbid, something terrible happens and I'm not there? And...I just love having you here with me all the time. I'm happy whenever you're around. You make me feel so loved without smothering me, you know? I guess the selfish part of me wants it to be like that all the time – especially whenever I decide to go back to work. I want to come home to you every day.”

I sat up and looked at him seriously. “Chris, what are you asking me?”

“Will you move in with me?”

I stared at him in surprise. I hadn't been expecting to have this conversation so early in our relationship. It excited me, and at the same time made me nervous. “I...I guess so. I don't know.”

A touch of disappointment filled his eyes, but he smiled reassuringly. “I don't expect you to have an answer right now. I know it's kinda soon to be talking about moving in, but it just doesn't feel that way to me. I've always felt – from the day you pulled up in the driveway to groom Dodger for the first time – like I've known you for years. I don't really know how to describe it.”

I half-smiled at him. “You don't need to. I know what you mean. Honestly, I feel the same way. To me it feels like our souls are stuck in some sort of eternal recurrence and we just keep meeting again and again in different lifetimes...God, now _I'm_ being the cheesy hopeless romantic.” I laughed quietly.

Chris grinned at me. “It's not outside the realm of possibilities.”

“I want to live with you, but...I just need more time.” I sighed. “I know you worry about me, but I like where I live. I'm attached to that creaky old house. Leaving it behind would be a big step for me, and I've already been through a lot of changes this year... _emotional_ changes. I know it's all been good for me, I feel like I've grown so much just in the past few months, but I don't want to get ahead of myself or get too overwhelmed and fuck everything up. I just can't...” My eyes welled up. “I can't lose you.”

He picked up my hand and kissed the back of it. “Bree, listen to me: you won't. You're not going to lose me. I completely understand. Take however much time you need before giving me an answer. But no matter what, you won't lose me. I'm not going anywhere.” He gently pulled me back down to him and wrapped me in his arms. “I'm sorry for bringing it up. I should have waited for a better time.”

“No, I'm glad you asked me now. It makes me happy to know that you're so devoted and serious about me...about _us_.”

Chris kissed my forehead and grinned at me. “I have to be, since we're apparently stuck with each other for all eternity.”

I laughed. “I don't mind.”

“Neither do I.”

***

“Fuck!” I sighed in aggravation as the tent pole snagged and got stuck inside the fabric for the dozenth time.

“Everything okay, sweetie?” Chris called out as he unloaded the large cooler from the back of the truck, carrying it easily to our campsite as if it weighed as much as a pillow.

“Yeah! Everything's fine. I got it.” I had volunteered to set up the tent while Chris hauled out all of our gear for the weekend.

He smiled as he walked over to me. “It doesn't look like you got it.”

I sighed again. “Okay, I don't. I've read the instructions a hundred times, but I still can't put this fucking thing together. Stupid helpless woman here who needs a man to fix it.”

He laughed and took the tent pole from me. “It's alright, honey. You're not stupid or helpless. I'll take care of this if you'll go get Dodger before he gets lost in the woods. I think he's on a mission to kill something before the weekend's over.”

“Alright. I'll get the rest of the firewood from the truck too. I think I can figure out how to carry something from one spot to another.”

Chris laughed again as I stopped at the truck we had borrowed from one of his friends, brought the last two bundles of wood to the fire pit, then walked off into the miles of trees where we would be living for the next three days. We were enjoying the first weekend of October out in the wild of western Massachusetts, miles away from the nearest town – or anything else, considering we weren't even on an actual campground.

The spot Chris had chosen was extremely secluded, a small clearing just off an old dirt road that snaked through the woods and led to nowhere. It was where he always disappeared to when he felt the itch to go camping illegally for days at a time. I was a little bit nervous being so far removed from civilization, but at the same time excited to be isolated from the real world – nothing except for me, my harlequin romance novel boyfriend, and the goofy mutt we co-parented.

I whistled loudly. “Dodger, here!” No response. I sighed, stuffed my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie – or rather, one of Chris' numerous hoodies I had stolen for their intense warmth factor – and walked farther into the trees, the fallen leaves crunching beneath my boots with every step. Anxiety started to fill me as I worried that he was already lost.

I whistled again. “Dodger! Come on, Bubba!” A moment later, I heard rustling and looked over at a large pile of leaves several yards away. A black nose poked out, sniffing the air intently. I laughed. “Dodger, get your ass over here.”

He sprang out of the mound of red and gold leaves, and galloped towards me.

“Good boy.” I rubbed him behind his ears, then noticed he had something stuffed into the back of his mouth – no doubt trying to sneak a newfound treasure into camp.

“What are you hiding? Let me see that.” His jaw was clamped tightly shut; I pulled up the side of his lip and saw he had a dead mouse locked between his molars.

“Ugh! Dodger, what the fuck, dude? I know you have retriever in you, but come on. This is not a hunting expedition.” I grabbed the top and bottom of his muzzle and tried to pull his jaws apart. He growled and bit down on his conquest even harder.

“Dodger, _no_. Drop it!” I commanded him firmly. He looked up at me with dejection, then slowly released and let the rodent's corpse drop to the ground.

“Poor little guy.” I brushed some leaves into a tiny burial mound over the lifeless body. “You get all of that expensive fancy food every day and you still want to eat a harmless mouse? You're a punk.” I laughed as he hung his head and refused to look at me, already starting to pout.

“Come on, let's go.” He followed me back to camp, where Chris had finished setting up our tent and started a fire in the pit.

“Found him?”

“Yep. He killed a mouse and tried to bring it back. I wouldn't let him.” Dodger helped himself to one of the folding chairs by the fire and curled up in the seat, still sulking.

“Aw, you're no fun!” Chris grinned. “What's the point of going camping if you're not gonna murder some rodents?”

“What's the point of going camping at all? We've only been here for an hour and I'm already bored.” I grinned back at him.

Chris laughed, then wrapped me in his arms and kissed me. “It's boring right now, but just wait. The fun will start soon.”

“It better.” I pressed my groin into his.

He smirked. “Since this is your first time camping, I take it you've never fucked in a tent before?”

“Nope. Never.”

“Good thing I packed some condoms.”

“ _Some?”_ I said with a sly smile.

“Okay, I brought the whole box.”

“Wow, bold of you to assume you'll get _that_ much pussy this weekend. It's bad enough you already think you're gonna get laid every time we're within ten feet of each other.” I giggled.

“Hey, that's been the case for months now! Forgive me for hoping we keep up that track record.” He grinned devilishly.

“Oh, I'm sure we will.” I smirked, gave him a long kiss, then grabbed his belt and pulled him into the tent.

“Dodger, stay. Don't go anywhere,” Chris commanded our mutt as he stuck his head outside of the tent for a moment. “Mom and Dad will be back in a little while.”

He looked at me as I pulled my hoodie and underlying thermal sweater over my head and tossed the garments aside, revealing to him that I had decided to go without a bra all weekend – one of his favorite looks on me.

“Actually, more like in a _long_ while...” Chris murmured with a smirk as he zipped the tent shut and pounced on me.

***

The afternoon sun was hanging low in the sky on our third and final day in the woods. I hated to admit it, but Chris had been right: I did have a blast. I had loved every minute of our camping trip, and part of me never wanted to leave the woods.

We spent the weekend fishing in a nearby pond without any luck, climbing trees, indulging Dodger's favorite activity chasing squirrels, playing in piles of fallen leaves, surviving on bland yet somehow filling campfire foil packs, falling asleep each night curled up with Dodger in our tent, and – of course – making love in various places. Our cozy tent, the truck bed, the bank of the pond, tall patches of grass, and numerous different trees had all been witness to our displays of passion.

Chris gave my slit one final slow, upward stroke with his tongue and circled around my clit, easing me back down from my intense orgasm. “Fuck, your pussy is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted,” he murmured as he gently kissed me there again, then slowly pulled his face away and looked up at me with a smirk. “So how was it?” He asked as I was still catching my breath.

I laughed. “My answer is the same every time, but you still ask me that.” I tugged my jeans back up as Chris wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up from where he had been kneeling before me. We had forgotten to bring any condoms with us from the stash of supplies back at our camp, but he still insisted on making me cum nonetheless as I was pressed up against a tree for the hundredth time that weekend.

“I just want to make sure my woman is always satisfied.” Chris smirked as he grabbed my hips and pulled me towards him.

“ _Your_ woman? Since when do you own me?” I grinned at him.

“I thought since always.” He winked as he grinned back at me.

“Hmm...well, yes. You're right about that.” I smiled coyly, then nipped his lower lip as I slid one hand down to the hard bulge in his pants and grasped it. “And I own _you_.”

He moaned softly and his cock twitched at my touch. “Yes. Yes, you do, sweetheart.”

I took my hand away and smirked at him. “Maybe I'll take care of that for you later.”

“You fucking tease.” He sighed in frustration, but his smile and the devilish glint in his eyes revealed that he loved being tortured by me in such fashion. I winked at him and took his hand in mine.

We resumed walking along the trail we had strayed from, reconvening with Dodger who was laying down behind a nearby thicket – once again waiting patiently and giving his overly horny parents privacy for another fervent lovemaking session.

Within a few minutes the three of us came upon the stream which flowed into the pond not far from our camp. Dodger started following it uphill, but Chris pulled me to a stop.

“I've never been up this way.” He whistled at Dodger. “Bubba! Come back. Let's not go too far.”

Dodger stopped and looked back at us. He turned his head and gestured with his snout, pointing to the trail ahead, then barked once. There was a determined look in his eyes that said: “No! We need to go this way, humans.”

“Come on, let's just keep going,” I said.

Chris sighed. “I don't want us to get lost.”

“Why not? Isn't going way out into the wild and getting lost the whole point of this?” I grinned at him.

He chuckled. “I guess you're right – but if I end up getting trapped under a boulder and have to cut off my arm with a pocket knife because of this, I'm leaving you.”

“I understand.”

“Not really. I'd never leave you, sweetie.”

“I know you're only joking, and that situation isn't gonna happen anyway.”

“I just want to make sure you know I'd lose a limb for you in a heartbeat.”

I couldn't help but laugh at the way he was smiling at me far too adoringly for such a gruesome hypothetical situation. “You're insane.”

“No, I'm in love.”

I grabbed his face and kissed him hard. “You're not the only one. I think you've driven me a little bit insane too.” I smiled and tugged on his hand to resume our walk uphill, with Dodger leading the way.

The hill seemed to never end as we kept moving forward. We pressed on for at least an hour, despite both of us being winded and struggling along on aching legs. Dodger stayed in the lead as we kept ascending through the forest, occasionally looking back at us to make sure we were still there.

Chris gave me his hand as we finally reached the top, and helped pull me up over the ledge of a jagged boulder. We both turned around, then stared in awe at the sight before us. Directly across from where we stood, a tall rushing waterfall cascaded down into a large pond, flowing into the stream we had been following uphill.

“I can't believe all the times I've been out here and never gone this far,” Chris said softly. He stood behind me and wrapped me in his arms. I placed my hands over his, and leaned back into his secure hold as we gazed at our discovery for several minutes.

A rush of emotions suddenly hit me, and my eyes welled up. Chris immediately sensed the shift in my energy and gently turned me around to face him. “Bree, what's wrong?”

I swallowed a lump in my throat. “I just...want to be alone for a minute.”

“Okay,” he replied quietly with a sad smile, then kissed my forehead.

Dodger bumped my hand with the tip of his nose. He looked up at me with just as much concern in his eyes as Chris had, and something else that told me exactly why he led us that far. I smiled and stroked the top of his head. “I'll be down in a minute,” I said to both of them.

As Chris and Dodger began their descent back down the hill, I sat on the bank of the pond and watched the waterfall. I couldn't help but start crying quietly; there was something about the constant motion of that waterfall which reminded me of myself.

I suddenly realized the past several years of my life – and the past few months in particular – felt exactly like the constant flow of water before me: boldly moving forward in spite of everything else. No matter what happened to me, I had always kept going. Every change I experienced since I left my old life behind had been a process of finally letting go of the past once and for all; of learning to allow my life to flow naturally without question, trust wherever it might take me, and always move forward without ever looking back – because I wasn't going that way.

I felt like it had all been leading up to that one moment, an epiphany brought on by something as simple as unexpectedly stumbling upon a waterfall. I finally understood that my past simply didn't matter anymore, that I had truly left it behind me, but I still needed to say one last thing to my mother.

“I forgive you, Mom.” My voice was barely above a whisper. “You failed me, but I understand why. I don't hate you for it, because it made me stronger. It made me learn how to survive all on my own. And...because of it, I've made a new family for myself now, with someone who truly loves me for everything that I am. I found my happiness. I just hope wherever you are now, you've finally found your own happiness too. Goodbye.”

I stuck my hand into the frigid water of the pond, grabbed the first stone my fingers touched, and pulled it out. It was a round black and white rock, hardly bigger than a penny. I stuffed it into the front pocket of my jeans; a small voice in the back of my mind had urged me to take something so I would never forget that moment.

I sniffled, wiped the tears off my cheeks, and headed back to meet Chris and Dodger. I carefully climbed down from the boulder and made my way towards Chris, several yards away down the hill. He was kneeling next to Dodger, rubbing his chest as the mutt licked him on the face.

Chris looked up as he heard my approach. He walked forward, and with a small smile held out his hand to me. I took it and laced my fingers through his; with my other hand, I stroked Dodger's head as he leaned into my leg, looking up at me with a smile in his eyes.

“Everything okay?” Chris asked me.

I smiled, then kissed him tenderly and nuzzled his nose with mine. “Yes. Everything is okay now.”

***

“Which one is that?” Chris asked, pointing to a cluster of stars.

“Cassiopeia.” I placed my head against his shoulder. We were both sitting in front of the fire, sharing a thick blanket wrapped around our shoulders as I gave him an elementary lesson in constellations.

“What's the story behind that one?”

“Cassiopeia was the queen of Ethiopia, gorgeous but vain – so vain that she claimed she and her daughter Andromeda were more beautiful than all of the sea nymphs. That really pissed off Poseidon, so to punish Cassiopeia, he tried to sacrifice Andromeda to the sea monster Cetus. Perseus, who was in love with Andromeda, flew in on Pegasus and rescued her – like every good boyfriend should – but Poseidon refused to just chill out and let it go. So he punished Cassiopeia instead by placing her in the heavens, chained to a throne for all eternity.”

“Jesus. Greek gods are assholes.”

I laughed. “Yep, they are.”

Chris' gaze moved down from the sky to my eyes. “You're so fucking smart, sweetie. I've never known anyone who knows as much about this stuff as you do. I feel like I need to start studying.” He grinned.

I smiled and blushed slightly. “I've just always liked mythology and read a lot about it over the years. I'm really not that smart.”

Chris smacked the side of my ass. “What did I tell you before about being mean to yourself?”

“I'm not being mean! Just honest.”

“No, you're not.”

“Okay, fine. I'm way smarter than you are. You're a complete fucking dunce, and you suck at acting too. Is that what you'd rather hear?”

He grinned at me. “Yes.”

I shook my head and laughed. “And you think _I'm_ the one who's too hard on themselves.”

Dodger sighed and shifted slightly in the folding chair where he was curled up on the other side of the fire. Chris chuckled. “I think we're keeping him up past his bedtime.”

I checked the time on my phone – a clock was all it had been useful for the past few days, since we were so far out from civilization there was no cell signal at all. “We are. It's after midnight now. Maybe we should all hit the hay.”

“We do have an early morning tomorrow. I think we should pack up and get on the road at dawn, before whoever owns this land notices the bearded lunatic is squatting here again.” Chris grinned and helped me up off the ground as I laughed, shaking my head at the rebellious wild streak from his younger years which had never completely left him.

He folded up the heavy blanket as I unzipped the tent and Dodger immediately trotted into it. I watched him snuggle up adorably inside of the sleeping bag, then I looked back at Chris.

I admired just a few of his perfect features illuminated by the soft orange light of the campfire: his distinct profile marked by the bumpy bridge of his nose, shaggy hair falling across his face, taut sculpted ass in full view as he bent down to start putting out the fire. I bit my lip at the sight of him; heat rushed to my groin, and my panties almost immediately became soaked. Despite the fact we had made love so many times that weekend I lost count, I had become insatiable and ached for him yet again.

I zipped up the tent flap. “Keep the fire going, and lay the blanket down.”

He looked at me curiously, but spread it out on the ground anyway. “Why?”

I smirked at him as I grabbed the collar of the red plaid flannel shirt he wore beneath a thick knit cardigan, and pulled him close to me. “You know why. Our fur-child is in bed now, and it's our last night out here, so I think we should have a little bit of fun under the stars.”

Chris gave me a small smile. “I was hoping you'd want to, but...”

“But what?” I said as I sat on the blanket and tugged on his hand, pulling him down next to me.

He sighed. “I didn't check how many condoms were left in the box before I packed it. We're out now. We used the last one this morning.”

I smirked, placed my hands on his chest, slowly pushed him down onto the ground, and straddled him. “Well, then it looks like it's your lucky night.”

Chris raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“We're just gonna have to do without one.” I pressed my lips to his, and he returned my kiss hungrily, grasping a fistful of my hair tightly. I had been on the pill for years, but we still always used condoms just to err on the side of caution, and had yet to have sex without one.

He smiled as our mouths parted. “Okay, I'll pull out.”

“You don't need to if you don't want to.”

His eyes gleamed with excitement, and he smirked at me devilishly. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

“I just want to make sure it's alright with you.”

“It is. We're safe, and...I want you to do it. I want to finally feel _all_ of you inside me.”

“I want to do it too. God, I want it so fucking bad.” Hunger filled his eyes, and he grabbed my face and kissed me again. Within moments he grew completely hard, and moaned as I slowly grinded against his cock, straining to be freed from the restraint of his rough denim jeans.

We quickly kicked off our boots and yanked away layers of clothes, but the night air was so chilly even with the fire going that I kept on my thick thermal shirt and tall socks. Chris laid me on my back as he pulled off my jeans and panties, then rubbed my bare thighs slowly and firmly to warm my icy skin, even though his hands weren't much warmer. “Is it too cold for you, sweetheart?”

“A little, but I won't be cold for much longer.” I smirked and grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to me for another kiss. I stopped him as he began to unbutton and shrug out of his flannel shirt. “I want you to keep this on. I love your rugged mountain man look.” I grinned.

Chris smirked. “Anything for you, sweetie.” He kept his shirt on, but left it unbuttoned for me to see the eagle in flight inked onto his pectoral – the tattoo he knew I adored most of all – and the silver Saint Christopher medallion hanging down the center of his chest.

He kissed me deeply, slipping his tongue through my parted lips, before moving down to my throat and nipping at me there. I unzipped his jeans and tugged them down along with his boxers, then spread my legs wider for him. He slowly pushed two fingers inside me, drawing the first of many whimpers out of me.

“God damn, Bree...you're always so fucking wet and ready for me,” Chris said with a low moan.

“Because I love you.” I whimpered as he slowly removed his fingers, shiny and soaked with my fluid. I knew he was impatient that night, but I didn't mind, considering I didn't exactly need foreplay with him. “It's only for you, Chris. Only you can make me like this.”

He kissed me tenderly, pulled one of my legs up over his hip, and placed the tip of his cock against my slit, teasing the both of us just a little bit more. “I don't know what I did to deserve you,” Chris whispered in my ear as he nuzzled the side of my head. “I love you, Bree.”

I smirked at him, and grasped his bare ass with both hands. “Then fuck me, cum inside of me, and claim me as yours.” I pulled on him, sliding him all the way inside me as we both moaned in unison.

“ _Fuck,_ Bree...” Chris buried his face against my throat and groaned loudly as he thrust into me slowly. “It's been a _long_ time since I've done it like this...and with you, it feels even more amazing than I remember.”

I moaned as he rocked his hips again and drove even deeper into me, hitting my sweet spot just right. “I've never done this before.”

He lifted up his head and looked at me with a small adoring smile. “You haven't?”

“No. I've never had sex without a condom. I've never trusted anyone enough to do it...until now.” I held his face and kissed him, then smirked. “Your little dominating possessive streak must be so happy. You get to be the first for something.”

Chris grinned. “I'm _ecstatic_.”

As he started slowly thrusting again, I placed one hand on his chest. “Stop.”

“Is everything alright?”

I pushed against him until he pulled out of me, then smirked and turned over onto my stomach. “Yes. I just want you to fuck me like this instead.”

He kneaded my ass and gave it a spank, then laid over top of me again. “You always know _exactly_ what I want,” Chris murmured in my ear as he nibbled on it. A moment later he grabbed my hips and yanked my backside up into the air, placing me on my hands and knees. He quickly slid his cock back into me, desperate and seemingly unable to tolerate our bodies being parted for more than a few moments.

Chris ran his hands underneath my shirt, his cold palms quickly warming against my skin as he grasped my breasts. “What do you want me to do, sweetheart?” He whispered.

I moaned softly at the sensation of his hands – roughened slightly by the past few days spent in the wild – caressing and groping me. He slid them back down my torso and gripped my ass with one hand; with the other he started gently stroking my clit. I moaned again, much louder that time.

I turned my head to catch a glimpse of him. “I want you to fuck me as _hard_ as you can. Don't hold back.”

He leaned forward to nip my ear. “I won't,” Chris said so lowly it was practically a growl.

I quivered at the dominating pitch of his voice, then whimpered as he started toying with my clit faster and harder. I was already so riled up and hypersensitive that within moments he had me crying out his name and clawing at the ground as I came. He continued stroking me with his fingertips, but barely moved his cock within me except for a few slow, gentle thrusts.

“Stop teasing me, you bastard. I told you to _fuck me_ ,” I said before my breath caught in my throat as he pressed down on my clit with another firm stroke, and just like that I came again, unraveling at nothing but the touch of his fingers.

I could practically hear his devilish grin. “I want you extra worked up for me, sweetie. I want your tight little pussy _soaking_ wet, and so sensitive you can hardly stand it.” He pulled his hand away and grasped my ass tightly as he started moving faster within me.

“Fuck me as hard as you can,” I reminded him with a whimper.

“Don't worry, I will.” Chris growled as he began doing exactly as I requested.

Any and all romance had ceased. There was nothing particularly romantic about being on all fours as he pounded into me rapidly and forcefully, both of us moaning so loudly that the echo of our erotic sounds filled the entire woods around us. In that moment, we were both completely taken over by purely primal lust.

We weren't making love like all of the other times; having sex was too generic of a phrase; even calling it fucking didn't feel right. It was so much more aggressive than any of the rough sex we'd had before, the most accurate word that came to mind for what we were doing was _mating_. It was so raw and wild, I felt like we were a pair of wolves who had come together for nothing but instinctive copulation.

Chris suddenly stopped, pulled out, and flipped me onto my back again. “I'm almost there, and I want to see your face when I cum.”

I whimpered at the sensation of his cock leaving me. I tugged on his shirt to pull him down, craving for him to fill me again.

He chuckled as he laid over me and held himself up on his arms. “Impatient?”

“Yes. I need you.”

“What else do you need, honey?” He grabbed my thighs and hiked my legs up over his hips, keeping me fully open for him to drive into.

“I need your cock fucking me hard.”

He plunged back into me so suddenly and roughly I yelped, then crossed my ankles and squeezed his waist hard with my thighs, holding him in place against me.

“And what else? Tell me.”

“I...” I whimpered and moaned as he continued thrusting into me so forcefully it burned, yet I loved it.

“You know what it is you need, and you know I want to hear you say it.” He moved one hand up to my throat and gently squeezed. “ _Tell me._ ”

“I need you to mark me as yours. I need your cum inside of me.”

Chris moaned and smiled in satisfaction at the sound of my begging him to finally completely claim me as his own. “That's more like it. That's what I want to hear.”

Within moments of him resuming his rapid steady thrusts, he had pushed me to the brink yet again. I whimpered and gripped the back of his head, tugging at his hair as I tried to keep myself from climaxing just yet.

“Cum for me again, sweetheart. I know you're holding yourself back.”

“Not yet. I want us to do it together.”

Chris smirked. “I'd like that...as long as you scream my name again.” He clenched his jaw and growled. “Fuck, I'm so close, Bree. You want me to fill your tight little pussy with all of my cum? You want me to make you _mine?”_

“Yes. Don't you dare pull out. Cum inside of me, Chris.”

As if on cue he breathed in sharply, then moaned my name loudly, his lips parted and brows furrowed so deeply the look on his face was almost pained as he came – and so did I, clawing at his back and crying out his name in between piercing breaths.

“ _Bree..._ ” He groaned and panted heavily as I felt the stream of his cum flow into me for several seconds. I ran my hands through his hair and kissed his forehead as our breathing gradually slowed down, and our rigid muscles relaxed from the rush of endorphins. He collapsed on top of me; his weight was heavy on my chest, but I didn't mind.

“Sorry, I just...I need a minute,” he whispered.

I giggled. “It's okay. Just don't squish me to death.”

Chris laughed quietly, then propped himself back up on his arms, kissed me tenderly, and pulled out his softening cock. A trail of his cum left me with it, and he grinned at me.

“I already know exactly what you're thinking.” I laughed.

“Oh? And what is that?” He laid down beside me and pulled me into his arms.

I smiled coyly at him. “I want to hear you say it.”

Chris kissed me again, giving my bottom lip the gentlest of nips. “You're mine now. _Completely_ mine.”

“Yes, I am.” I smirked. “I'm all yours, and no one else's.”

“Good...and I'm all yours, sweetheart. Only yours.” He squeezed me tightly and kissed my forehead.

Despite the warmth of his body against mine and the fire still blazing beside us, the heat from our carnal frenzy was quickly dissipating into the night air, and I shivered. Chris tugged up his jeans, then grabbed my pants and heavy sweater from the end of the blanket. “Come on, let's get you dressed and warmed up again.”

I sat up and giggled as I felt more of his cum leak out of me. “Can you get me something to clean up first?”

“Oh, shit. I almost forgot. God, I'm such an asshole.” He walked over to our stash of supplies on the other side of the fire pit and came back with a small soft towel. I reached for it, but before I could take it from him he knelt down and cleaned up the mess for me. Although his hands were gentle, I still winced, and there were a few spots of blood on the towel when he pulled it away. I wasn't surprised, and I knew I would be sore for the rest of the night and well into tomorrow, but to me the discomfort was worth it.

“Are you okay?” Chris asked quietly.

“Yeah, just really sensitive right now. I'll be fine.”

He didn't look convinced. “I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to hurt you.”

I smiled at him reassuringly. “You didn't really...and even if you did, I _wanted_ you to.” I held his face and kissed him. “Please don't be sorry. I'm fine.”

Chris gave me a small smile. “Okay, I'll believe you.” He shook his head and chuckled. “I feel bad about this, but I can't lie: all of the other rough sex we've had has been great, but I loved getting _that_ rough with you.”

I smirked at him. “So did I. We'll have to do it again sometime.” I pulled my jeans and heavy sweater back on, then looked up and gazed at the billions of stars glittering in the night sky. “We should sleep out here under the stars tonight.”

“I don't want you to get too cold, sweetheart.”

“It's not exactly that much warmer inside the tent. We'll be fine. Let's just keep the fire going, and bring out all of the blankets – and Dodger too. I mean, he's basically been our space heater on this trip anyway, since he's got plenty of fur now that you've stopped asking me to make him look like a shaved rat all the time.” I grinned at him.

“Oh, _ha ha ha_. I didn't know any better!” Chris said with an embarrassed smile as he tossed another log into the fire. I went into the tent to grab the sleeping bag, blankets, and pillows, and to wake up Dodger – who slowly, unwillingly got up with a dramatic yawn.

I laid out the sleeping bag on the ground and crawled in. Chris joined me and fluffed up the pillows, then looked at Dodger still waiting politely for an invitation.

“Come on, Bubba. Bedtime,” Chris said softly to the mutt, who promptly jumped into our makeshift bed. It did almost nothing to shield us from the cold hard ground, but I didn't care – it was worth the view of the Milky Way gleaming brightly over us.

I laid on my side and Dodger curled up against my front. I held him snugly, absorbing the heat from his furry body; even with the fire going right beside us, the air still had a sharp bite.

Chris chuckled as he pulled the extra blankets up over the three of us and wrapped his arms around me, sandwiching me between the two loves of my life. “So you're gonna hog the heat, and he's gonna hog you.”

I giggled. “Jealous?”

“Not one bit. I've already got everything I want just being right here with you two.” Chris kissed the side of my neck and squeezed me. “I love you, Bree. Goodnight.”

I smiled and nestled even closer against him. “I love you too, Chris. Goodnight.”

Despite the frigid night air I still drifted off to sleep within minutes, comforted by the safety of Chris holding me tightly, the love radiating from him and Dodger, and the stars watching over us: merely three among billions of simple beings made of stardust, just another insignificant tiny family that ultimately meant nothing to the vast universe – but not to me.


End file.
